Del was puzzled. “It ain’t Rae Cobb?”
She went back to sorting the beans, picking out a bad one here and there and tossing them off the side of the porch. She was frowning slightly as she worked, the borrowed dress loose around her and gathered in folds.
She finally said, “It’s actually Rae Lynn Cobb. Call me Rae Lynn, if’n it pleases you.”
His grin came back, and he said, “It sure does. Suits you to a tee.”
She was quite the looker now she wasn’t wearing that hat too big for her head and them ill-fitting overalls. He found himself grinning stupidly again, but she didn’t return it. Her eyes flicked over him, then off to something distant, as if distracted by her thoughts.
He’d been thinking about her situation, and he said, “You know, it ain’t gonna work out, that job in the woods.”
Her mouth pressed tight like she didn’t care for his input.
“I’m aware of that.”
Cornelia quietly interceded and said, “I told her she can stay here, help out at the house.”
Rae Lynn’s hands went still, and she said, “It ain’t enough to pay for your kindness, for all you done.”
Cornelia said, “I can always use help in the commissary too, if you can handle working with Otis.”
Del caught the smile she gave Cornelia before she ducked her head. “After all is considered, don’t you reckon I can handle about anything?”
He realized it was the very first time he’d seen her do that.
Cornelia grinned back, then grew serious. “Ain’t a doubt in my mind. For now, though, you need rest.”
Del wanted to stay longer, but he had men waiting on him.
He said, “I gotta get back to work. Gonna be a long, hot afternoon.”
Cornelia said, “It’s coming on late summer and that’s always the worst.”
Ruby stood patiently under a pine, flicking her tail at the flies on her back, and after Del swung into the saddle, he glanced back. Rae Lynn was busy snapping beans, as if he’d never been there. He had to admit he was bothered by this. He’d never had trouble with women paying him attention, or anything that followed such attention. Except now he had that issue. There’d been a time or two after coming to the camp when he tried to help himself do what was supposed to come naturally, and both times ended in failure, just like after he’d tried to spend a little time with that gal at the store. He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself either when it came to this new situation with Rae Lynn Cobb.
Yet, after that visit, he found ways to go to the commissary more than normal, hoping for glimpses of her. The day after he’d seen her, he went back with the excuse he needed some side meat, hoping she’d be on the porch or somewhere in the yard where he could strike up a conversation. She was nowhere to be found, and only Otis was behind the counter inside the store. Otis sliced the meat, added it to his tab, and then there was no reason for Del to stick around. He wanted to ask about her, but Otis was more ornery than usual, so he left. The next day, he decided he needed some canned mackerel.
“Fresh out,” Otis growled.
He went back the following day under the pretense of wanting some canned peaches, and Otis acted put out as he bagged a couple cans, like Del was starting to annoy him. These attempts to see her were setting him back financially, but he didn’t much care. He took a chance on asking, since he was there and all.
“Where’s Miss Cobb at?”
Before Otis could answer, a door slammed near the back of the commissary, and seconds later Rae Lynn appeared with Cornelia on her heels. Both were carrying boxes of potatoes, and both were a bit grimy.
Otis said, “What took y’all so damn long? It don’t take no time to go to the root cellar to gather a few taters. Cornelia! I said put’em over there.”
Cornelia said, “I heard you, Otis, no need to shout. Hey, Mr. Reese, how’re you?”
Otis gave her a disgusted look and turned to Del. “Damn women. Ain’t got the sense God give a turnip.”
Del could’ve sworn he heard Rae Lynn say something like, “How would you know,” but he couldn’t be sure.
She didn’t look exactly happy and she didn’t speak to him. The women left again, carrying the now-empty wooden crates.
Otis yelled after them. “And get them sweet taters! We need’n some of them put out too!”
He gestured at Rae Lynn’s back as she went out of the room.
He said, “That one’s gonna owe right much if this keeps on, what with me putting her up, and her eating at my table.”
Del lifted his eyebrows and said, “How’s that?”
“’Cause it’s costing her two dollars a week for the room and fifteen cent a meal, that’s how. I mean, it ain’t no little ole shack over there like she what she had before. She’s getting to stay in a nice house, with a sitting area and all.”
“Now that don’t seem fair.”
Otis said, “Fair? Like I said, we ain’t running no boardinghouse. It’s an inconvenience.”
Del couldn’t figure out how Otis was inconvenienced with two women tap dancing to his demands.
He did the figures in his head quick, and said, “Comes out to over five dollars a week. What’re you paying her for doing all this work?”
“Fifty cent a day.”
It was less than what she got for chipping, but even if she were making that, Otis had arranged it so she’d owe him, no matter what. He was being unreasonable, but what could Del say? They were all in over their heads, that’s how it was in these camps. The women came back and immediately began unloading sweet potatoes. He wished he could catch Rae Lynn alone, ask her what she thought of this arrangement. By the way she acted, not much, but Cornelia sure did seem happier. She stayed close to Rae Lynn’s side, and Del watched how they communicated without any words. A gesture. A look. A nod or shake of the head. Women sure could be mysterious creatures. He took his leave before Otis got it in his head to show off his authority some more and embarrass the lot of them.
On his way out he said, “Y’all ladies have a good evening.”
Cornelia spoke for them both, “You too, now.”
Disappointed, and out of sorts for reasons he couldn’t land on, he slowly made his way home. There he spotted Crow’s mother sitting on the porch. Wishing he could go inside, mind his own business, he felt obliged to speak since he’d always been taught to respect his elders. She was the man’s mother after all.
“Evening, ma’am.”
She didn’t bother with the likes of him. He could have been dead. Crow came out of the house, and it was the first time he’d seen him since right after finding Rae Lynn Cobb. That was unfinished business. Crow made sure he reminded Del of his favor, as inconsequential as it was.
“How’s that worker I sent doing?”
“Fine. Quick.”
Del waited, expecting he’d mention something about the woman he almost killed. Maybe ask how she was. The awkward silence built for a few seconds.
Del, disbelief tinging his voice, said, “Ain’t you even gonna ask?”
“Ask what?”
“About her, you know, the woman you stuck in that box?”
“Heard she’s over there working at the commissary. What’s to ask?”
“You almost killed her, doing what you done.”
“Maybe she ought to have thought of the consequences ’fore she come here in that getup. Seems to me she asked for it.”
Crow shifted his attention to the taciturn woman next to him. If Del thought Crow’s eyes were dark, hers were like looking at a black skillet, same kind of black, same kind of hard. Ready to end this odd little visit with the Sweeneys, he opened his door. He didn’t thank Crow for sending Long Gone to work with him. To hell with manners.
Crow called out to him. “What you reckon makes a woman do like that? Dressing and acting like a man? It don’t seem natural.”
Del paused. All he wanted to do was eat and maybe sit out back so he wouldn’t have to deal with them, enjoy a bit of time unwinding before he went to bed.
He said, “What’s it matter?”
“Got to be a reason for it. Gonna have to keep an eye on her.”